The following is paid content sponsored by Stun-Cuff.
By Melissa Mann, for Police1 BrandFocus
Every corrections officer knows the inherent dangers of working in and trying to control a population of prisoners, including during transport.
A study conducted with the New York Police Department found that 40 percent of prisoner escapes happen during a prisoner transport, with an average of 309 escapes reported annually. About 12 percent of the officers were injured.
Stories of inmate escapes and officer injuries inspired one inventor to develop a solution. In 2004, Brad Myers, now president of Stun-Cuff, began to notice the increasing number of officers involved in assaults. He wanted to create an effective tool to assure public and officer safety when handling prisoners.
“Need is the mother of all inventions,” Myers said about his invention, the Stun-Cuff wireless prisoner control device.
How does the Stun-Cuff work?
The Stun-Cuff works by sending signals from electrical points to the Achilles tendon region of the ankle over a sock. On the wrist, it is placed directly on skin or over a sleeve on the inside of the forearm with the electrical points away from the palm.
Once it is in place, it can be deployed should an inmate become non-compliant to officer commands and a threat to the safety of others – delivering bursts of 50,000 volts remotely by a handheld transmitter that renders an inmate temporarily immobile.
Each device can be fitted with a wireless remote and data port with a duty-belt holster and programmable keypad locking system capable of recording information, including date, time and duration for each discharge. The wireless transmitter can transmit from up to 100 yards away from any Stun-Cuff, Myers said.
“The Stun-Cuff is a low cost, easy-to-use solution to managing an inmate work crew while in a public setting,” Myers said. “It is an essential tool for maintaining officer safety while executing the safe transportation and management of any inmate population.”
The Stun-Cuff prisoner control device comes in two models: the Stun-Cuff institutional dual-cuff model and the Stun-Cuff institutional single-cuff model. Each model is available with several additional upgrade options. All Stun-Cuff devices are maintenance free, Myers said.
A true takedown device
Every Stun-Cuff features multiple electrical contact points to assure deployment.
The palm-sized, water- and impact-resistant device is made of durable PVC with two nylon locking bands that wrap around a leg or wrist. The two nylon bands ratchet down to securely fit over a sock or sleeve and are removed simply with a standard handcuff key.
It is available in a 5-second burst with 50,000 volts or 3-second burst with an 80,000 volt shock.
“Either level of burst will affect only the limb the device is attached to, not the whole body, resulting in a highly effective less-than-lethal compliance tool,” Myers said. “It truly is a takedown device. Once the non-lethal device is deployed via the remote, it will drop prisoners where they stand.”
Should one point be blocked and not make contact, another will create the electrical point set necessary for effectiveness, Myers said.
Small investment, huge return
Myers said the Stun-Cuff is being deployed successfully across the world. It is used in the U.S. by Michigan, Delaware and Tennessee Departments of Corrections and is currently being tested in Canada, Jordan, Israel and Singapore.
These agencies are using it in both police and correctional transportation settings, such as medical transports and interstate long-haul transports.
Myers also said the devices can be used for the management of out-of-custody daily work crew projects, which have become a more frequent sentencing tool in an attempt to minimize in-custody overpopulation and reduce liability.
Like any new equipment, there’s an upfront cost. But Myers says the modest upfront investment is a small price to pay for the peace of mind it provides.
“The initial small investment in the device could prevent thousands of dollars in officer injury and complicated workers compensation case costs for agencies,” he said.
For more information, visit Stun-Cuff.